Common Evil

What can we learn about the ancient world by reading their ghost stories? From Egypt to Rome, in this episode we examine the ancient conception of death in order to understand the concept of life itself. Above image is by Joseph Vargo

The Fortean Times reports that the 90's phenomenon of Bogus Social Workers, people who pretend to be from government agencies in order to gain access to your children, is again on the rise. Then, part 2 of the Jeffrey R MacDonald case, in which we learn that Fort Bragg wasn't exactly not crawling with satanists on acid. 

----more----

Documents released through FOIA show the extent to which the CIA shapes the plots of some popular films in exchange for production assistance: Contact, JurrasicPark 3 and Independence day among others. Then, we look at the case of Jeffrey R MacDonald, an army medic who’s family was murdered—some say by hippies on acid—others say by him. A former FBI agent raises some serious questions about the case.

----more----

Researchers at Facebook had to shut down an AI experiment because the bots had begun to speak to each other in an improvised language that only they could understand. Then, we ask what does it mean to be insane according to the theory that reality is something that the mind creates by interpreting the world through symbols. The 2006 film High Tension helps us understand hysteria and insanity.

----more----

A new awareness of PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) may help us understand why some children exhibit anti-social or violent behavior. Then, we continue our exploration of dreams and nightmares by looking at the phenomenon of sleep paralysis. Various cultures across history have attributed sleep paralysis to malevolent entities, but has modern science solved the riddle?

----more----

Scientists have succeeded in creating the first human/animal embryo. The Chimera represents an early stage in a greater project to create hybrid bodies for the purpose of organ harvesting and prolonging the length and quality of human lives. Then, we look at the phenomenon of nightmares and ask a simple question: if it’s true, as Freud said, that dreams are wish fulfillments, does that mean nightmares grant our darkest fantasies?

----more----

A catholic group from Brazil called the Heralds of the Gospel stands accused of consorting with the devil in their struggle against the more liberal regime of the Pope in Rome. Father Malachi Martin wrote openly about the forces of Satan in the church. Then, what do Anders Breivik, Mohammed Atta and Eric Harris have in common? Psychologically, they were all motivated to kill by messianic motives.Above image by Marco Oberhofer

----more----

An online game called the Blue Whale challenge is pushing teenagers in Russia, and across the globe, towards self-harm and suicide. Some administrators of the game have been arrested, but what is the relationship between them and their victims? Then, we look at a controversial text in criminology to answer a basic question about the phenomenon of crime: why is crime seductive to the criminal?

----more----